Were The LA Lakers Right To Hire Mike D'Antoni Over Phil Jackson?

After the Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Mike Brown, it was widely assumed the new vacancy would be filled by Phil Jackson if the legendary coach wanted the gig. With thirteen NBA Championships (11 as a coach, 2 as a player), a great relationship with Kobe Bryant and a reputation for masterfully handling players with egos, he was far and away the most obvious candidate for the position, but the front office shocked everyone late last night by going in a different direction and hiring former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni.

Rumor has it poor Phil was blindsided by the organization’s decision, and an overwhelming majority of fans felt the same way. Just a few days ago, they were chanting Phil’s name, and now, they’re being forced to accept a completely different, less comfortable direction. D’Antoni doesn’t have a single championship to his name, and his recent run with the Knicks didn’t exactly end well last year.

That being said, there are some advantages to choosing D’Antoni over Jackson. He’s six years younger and far more interested in coaching long-term. The Zen Master has already retired before and would almost certainly walk away again in two years. In addition, D’Antoni has coached Steve Nash before and runs a very simple, easy to pick up system that should suit Dwight Howard.

So, after having an entire day to process this news, what is your opinion of the front office’s decision? Were they right to hire D’Antoni, or should they have gone with Jackson? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…